Wringer mop



Ap 11, 1939- s. P. VAUGHN 2,153,601

WRINGER MOP Filed June 17, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l A. VZzaghn April 11, 1939. s VAUGHN. 2,153,601

WRINGER MOP Filed June 1'7, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Paten tcd Apr. ll, 1939 2.15am I wnmem nor Sidney P. Vaughn, San Diego, Calif.

Application June 17, 1937, Serial No. 148,766 11 Claims. (01. 15-119) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended 'Aprll 30, 1928; 310 o. G. 157) UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca This invention relates to cleaning devices generally but more particularly to mops for cleaning floors, walls, etc., and has forone of its objects to provide such a device which is not only simple and inexpensive in construction but which also has an attractive and sanitary appearance.

A primary object of the invention consists in the provision of a simple, neat-appearing, and eflicient wringing element for a mop embodying a sponge, particularly cellulose sponge, as the cleaning element, the wringing element forming a permanent part of the mop and in conjunction therewith forming a self-wringing mop.

Another object of the invention resides in a method of attaching sponge material to a stifi backing which is attached to the mop head in forming the completed mop.

A further object of the invention consists in so shaping the cleaning material and in so positioning it with respect to the mop head and handle that it will be highly effective in performing the cleaning operations and particularly so as regards corners of rooms, walls, ceilings, etc.-

Figure 3 is a side elevatlonal view of the mop L and wringer with a dotted line showing of the wringer in operative position.

Figure 4 is a detail plan view of the stifi backing for the mop material which is here shown in dotted outline.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through the mop material and backing taken on line 55 of Figure 4, indicating one method of permanently attaching these two elements.

Figure 6 is transverse sectional view of a mop head and showing in dotted lines the backing locked therein.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a mop employing a modified construction of operating means for the wringer.

Fig. 7a is a line diagram of the wringer of Figure 7, indicating various positions of the parts as the wringer is moved from inoperative to operative position.

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view of a modified backing for the cleaning material and I indicating a somewhat different method of permanently attaching these two. elements.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the backing of Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the backing shown. in Figure 4 and taken on line Ill-l0 of that figure.

Referring to the drawings more in detail and especially to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the numeral l indicates the m'op handle to which is rigidly attached a mop head 2 by means of a shank or socket 3 and, clamping nut 4. Tha socket and handle are arranged at an angle of about with the upper surface 01' the mop head for a purpose which will appear hereinafter.

The cleaning element, which is indicated by numeral 5, is of spongy material, preferably cellulose sponge, and is in the form of a rectangul'ar block having its under-side or floor surface beveled off rearwardly at an angle-of about 20?. This angle in conjunction with the 65 angle between the mop head and handle is very im portant as it permits the handle to be held at an angle of about 45 to the surface being cleaned and thereby provides the proper thrust against the sponge andprevents it from rolling on the floor or the like. This angular arrangement between the handle and operative surface of the sponge also reduces the imposition of tearing stresses upon the sponge and the cement with which it is attached to the backing. Moreover, the beveled under-surface of the sponge provides a toe 6 which facilitates the use of the mop in cleaning the corners of rooms without bringing the mop head into contact with the base boards, walls, etc. This principle is fully described in my application Ser. No. 92,899, filed July 2'7, 1936.

A st'ifl backing for the block of sponge material is desirable whereby the same may be attached to the mop head 2, and for this purpose a member I of sheet metal is employed although other material may be found suitable. This member is disclosed in detail in Figures 4, 5, and 10, and is shown as an elongated, substantially rectangular top plate provided with downwardly and outwardly inclined flanges B. By reason ofv the flared side walls the sponge material may be ad hesively secured to them as well as to the bottom of the backing; also this construction permits the sponge material to enter the corners of the backing and thereby prevent the formation of voids. Moreover this flaring of the walls of the backing facilitates snapping the same into the mop head as will later appear. The extremities of the flanges 8 are bent upwardly and inwardly and are spaced slightly from the inner surfaces of the flanges to provide anchoring means 9 for the cement used in securing the sponge blocks, as will now be described.

Mops are continually being subjected to hot water and frequently to boiling water, and hence it is essential to employ some means for securing the mop material to its backing and which means will be resistant to boiling water and the like.

The sponge material, in the present instance, is

the like, which will withstand boiling temperatures. The adhesive I0 is preferably placed in the iinverted backings I and the blocks of sponge material are then tightly compressed against the backings and adhesive. The portion of the sponge material compressed against the edges of I the flanges 8 seal the adhesive within the backing, and portions of the cement are forced into the pockets formed between the flanges 8 and their respective tongues 9, as well as into the pores of the sponge. When the cement setsand hardens it is securely locked in the backing together with the sponge 5 to which it is attached.

Another method of securing the sponge material to a backing is disclosedin Flgures'ti and 9, in which the backing is indicated by the numeral 1', the flanges by numeral 8 and the inturned tongues by numeral 9'. In this instance a sheet of foraminous material II, such as wire screening, is secured in the backing by the tongues 9', and the hardened cement becomes interlocked about the wires of the screen as fully shown and described in my application Ser. No. 112,786, filed Nov. 25, 1936.

The cleaning material and its backing, of either the type shown in Figure 5 or the type shown in Figure 8, is detachably connected to the mop head 2. For this purpose the head is provided with front and rear flanges I2 and I3. These flanges are inclined downwardly and outwardly and at their free edges are formed with inturned nibs or clips I4 adapted to engage under the edges of the backing when the latter is installed in the head. To secure one of the cleaning units in the head it is only necessary to bring it into registry therewith and then force the hacking into the head the side walls of the backing springing tion. In the specific form illustrated one of the clips is provided on the front flange I2 and two.

provided with a pressed-in portion I5 and I5 respectively to facilitate removal of the baokings as desired. It will be understood that the rear clips I4 engage under that portion of the backing having the normal width, and that-to release the snap the same into the head as heretofore described.

The mop head 2 is provided with a heel portion I6, shown as formed in three sections in Figure 2 and between which the rear clips I4 are positioned. The heel extends rearwardlyfrom the lower edge of the rear flange I3 and serves as one means of wringing the mop. In this meth-v od of wringing the mop the handle is pressed mop-operating position.

struction the wringer screen comprises a rectangular frame member 20 provided with crossbars 2|. This wringing plate or grid is of substantially the same length and width as the block of mop material and is provided with an operating arm or handle 22. The wringer member 20 is pivoted to the top rear surface of the mop head 2 by means of a U-shaped link 23 which has its base pivotally mounted in eyes 24 secured to the head 2. The legs of this link are provided with forwardly bent portions 25 formed with eyes 26 in which the upper edge of the wringer is mounted. A coil spring 21 has its respective ends secured to the wringer 20 and the handle I and serves to normally retain the wringer in the position indicated in full lines in Figures 1 and 3.

When it is desired to wring the mop the same is held in one hand by the handle I and wringer handle 22 is pressed downwardly and forwardly I with the other hand against the tension of spring 21. As shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, the shape of the link 23 is such as to bring the pivot point of the wringer to a point forward of the block of cleaning material and slightly below the mop head 2. Movement of the handle 22 forwardly is continued so as to bring the wringer 20 into substantially parallel relation with the mop head and thereby compress the cleaning material between these two elements. When the wringing operation is completed the handle 22 is released and the spring 21 will return the parts to theirnormal position parallel with the handle I and entirely free from interference with the usual operations of the mop.

In the modified constructionshown in Figure 'l, the wringer 20 is, mounted in the identical manner above described but the means of operating it about its pivot is slightly different. In this form of the invention a handle or sleeve 30 is slidably mounted on the mop handle I and is connected by a rod 3| with an operating arm 32 of the wringer, as indicated at 33. Mountedon the handle I, in a slot of the extension 32 is a fixed cam or tripping device 34 adapted to cooperate with the upper end of extension 32 when the handle 30 is forced downwardly in the wringing operation. Any. spring device 21 may be employed to return the parts to normal inoperative position:

7 As the handle 30 is moved downwardly the pivot link 23 of the-wringer is rocked forwardly to bring the wringer in front of the sponge block 5. In the continued downward movement of handle 30 the pivot 33 is pushed forwardly by cam 34 thereby reventing the rod 3| from looking in a line be nd the desired thrust line. As the hinge link 23 comes close to its position of contact with the mop head 2 the tripper 34 causes the extension 32 to pass over dead center thereby changing the moment of the couple about pivot 26 to an anticlockwise moment and the wringing screen may then be forced against the sponge on the underside of the mop head. This movement of the parts is clearly indicated in Figure 7a, in which the reference characters 33 33 and 33 designate the positions of the pivot point 33 at the various stages of the wringing operation. When the handle 30 is released the spring 21 will return the parts to normal inoperative position. The operation of this wringer is identical with that heretofore described but the use of the sliding handle 30 has the advantage that the wringer may be operated without the necessity of the operator changing his hands from the'normal The operation of the various features of the construction have been described in connection with the description of the structural details and need not be repeated other than to emphasize the fact that the mop has been so constructed as to present a neat and attractive appearance without sacrificing utilitarian features; that it is durably but inexpensively constructed; that both forms of the wringing device are so arranged as to be automatically moved to an outof-the-way position when not in use, and yet are readily accessible to the hand of the operator to swing them into wringing position when desired; and that the mechanism for mounting the wringing plate is such as to provide for a thorough wringing of the mop in an expeditious manner and without the expenditure of great force on the part of the operator.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what I now believe to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, but obviously many changes and modificaions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all such changes and modifications be included within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A mop including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a link pivoted to the head, means for normally maintaining the link in upright position substantially parallel with the handle, a wringer plate pivotally connected at its upper end to the free end of said link, and an operating handle connected to the wringer plate.

2. A mop including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a normally upright link pivoted to the head adjacent the rear edge of the latter, the upper end of the link provided with a forwardly extending portion, a wringer plate having its upper edge pivotally connected to the forwardly extending portion of the link, and a handle rigidly connected to said edge of the plate and normally extending upwardly therefrom.

3. A mop including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a substantially U-shaped normally upright link pivoted to the head, the free end of the link being bent forwardly, a wringer plate having its upper edge pivotally connected to the forwardly bent end of the link and normally depending therefrom, and an operating arm rigidly connected to said edge of the plate and extending away from the plate.

4. A mop'including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a link pivoted to the head adjacent the rear edge thereof, the upper end of the link provided with a forwardly extending portion, a wringer plate pivoted at its upper end to the end of the forwardly extending portion of the link and depending therefrom, spring means associated with the plate for normally maintaining the link and plate in inoperative position above\the mop head, and a handle associated with the wringer plate for operating the link and plate. I

5. A mop including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a substantially U-shaped link having its base pivoted to said head at the rear of the mop handle,

the free end of the U-shaped member being bent forwardly to extend beyond the handle, a wringer plate pivotally connected at its upper end to the free end of the link, a spring associated with the plate for normally retaining the link and wringer in inoperative position above the mop head, and a handle associated with the wringer plate for moving the parts to operative position.

6. A mop including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a link pivoted to the head, a wringer member having its upper edge pivoted to the link, means for normally maintaining the link and wringer member in upright position, an operating handle slidable along the mop handle, a rod having its respective ends pivoted to the wringer member and operating handle, and means for causing the pivot between said rod and said wringer member to pass over dead center.

7. A mop including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a link pivoted to the head, a wringer member having its upper edge pivoted to the link, means for normally maintaining the link and wringer member in upright position, an operating handle slidable along the mop handle, a rod having its respective ends pivoted to the wringer member and operating handle, and a tripper on the mop handle to force the pivot between said rod and said wringer member past dead center when the operating handle is moved toward the mop head.

8. A mop including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a wringer comprising an elongated wire grid pivotally connected to the mop head and adapted to be swung into cooperative relation with the compressible material, and means for operating said wire grid.

9. A mop including a handle and head, a block of compressible material secured to said head, a

wringer comprising an elongated wire grid piv-- otally connected to the mop head and adapted to be swung into cooperative relation with .the compressible material, spring means for normally retaining the grid in inoperative position, and means for moving the grid to operative position.

10. A cleaning unit including a backing composed of an imperforate top and depending surrounding walls, inwardly and upwardly directed flanges formed on certain of said walls, and a block of compressible cleaning material having a cross-sectional area greater than the crosssectional area of the backing, said block of material having the major portion of its top surface adhesively secured within the backing with portions of the adhesive interlocked behind the inturned flanges.

11. A cleaning unit including a backing coinposed of an imperforate top and depending surrounding flared walls, inwardly and upwardly directed flanges formed on certain of said walls, and a block of compressible cleaning material having a cross-sectional area greater than the area of the backing, said block of material having the major portion of its top surface adhesively secured to the top and flared walls of the backing with portions of the adhesive interlocked behind the inturned flanges.

SIDNEY P. VAUGHN.

Patent No. 2,153,601 Granted April 11, 1939 SIDNEY I. VAUGHN The above entitled patent was extended October 2, 1951, under the provisions of the Act of June 30, 1950, for 7 years and 174 days from the expiration of the original term thereof.

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